Game



Feb; 12, 1935.

Filed Nov. 11. 1953 Patented Feb. 12, 1935 v UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE cam:

, Eugene Wright, 'l'ex.

- Application November 11, 193:, Serial ism-697,571)

3 Claims. (01. lie-#420),

This invention relates to games and it has par ticular reference to a device by which the various plays of games such as football and the like may be followed during the period the game is in prog- 5, ress. V

The principal object of the invention resides in a device of the character specified, designed to lend to the enjoyment of radio listeners during the broadcast of football or other games and 10 through the medium of the invention, the operator is enabled to manipulate the-same to accord with the various plays and other developments of the actual game in progress as the same is" 20 on the field as the radio announcer's remarks are followed.

With the foregoing objects as paramount, the

invention has particular reference to its salient features of construction and arrangement of parts which will become manifest as the descrip tion proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, whereinz- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game con-. structed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an underside view of Figure 1,

. Figure 3 is a detail view of the preferred form of mechanism for changing the position of the ball'on the field as well as the position of the yardage marker.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the ball, fragmentarily showing the manner in which it ismounted for movement over the field and further shows the device by which theoperator may be advised as to which team has the ball.

Figure 5 is a perspective view'of the ball mounting, and

Figure 6 isa perspective view of the mounting for the yardage marker,

Continuing more in detail with designates a substantially rectangular box or housing on which is printed or otherwise afilxed a parallelogram 2, suggestive of a football field of play and at either end is provided the goal posts 3 which are capable of being detached.

length. As apparent in Figure 4, each of the slots 4 and 5 is provided with outwardly turned,

Through the middle of the parallelogram and longitudinal flanges 8 and 7 respectively: A 811d:- ing clip'8 embraces the flanges 6 of the slot '4 while a similar cl p 9 slidingly embraces the flanges '7 of the companion slot 5.

Secured to the clip 8 is an upright member 5 10, shown in Figures 4 and 5 which passes through the slot'4 and is capable'of being moved lengthwise thereof. On either end of the member. 10 is secured devices 11, each being intended to re-h tain strips of paper or other material 12 bearing the names of the opposing teams engaged in the game. Mounted upon the member 10, between the two identifying-plates or devices 11 is a ball 13. A substantially U-shaped piece of wire 14, mount ed for pivotalmovement on thepin 15 functions to identify the particular team in p s ssion of the ball. It will be noted that the operator may simply, flip the bail 14 from one side to the other as the possession. of the ball changes from one team to the other during the course of the game.

Referring to Figures 2 audit, it will be observed that a pair of parallel shafts extend transversely through the housing 1 and are identified by the characters 16 and 1'7. To the exterior extremities of these'shafts are aflixed knobs 18 and 19 respectively. The inner ends of the shafts are journaled in bearings 20 andheld against'end wise displapement by pins 21. A spool or pulley 22 is fixed upon the shaft 16 and about the same is wound a cord or cable 23. The cord or cable 23 is endless and extends over grooved rollers 24 journaled in brackets 25 mounted on either end of the housing 1. 1 About two. turns of the cable around the spool 22 is considered suflicient to, prevent slippage of the cable thereon.

To the straight lead of the cable 23, which lies directly under the slot 5 near one side of the housing 1 is secured the sliding clip 9 by clamping, winding, soldering or by any other suitable means at a- The clip 9 is provided with a pair of upwardly directed pins 26'which, as apparent in Figure 1, extend through the slot 5. The

I ..=purpose of these pins is to represent to the' opthe drawing, 1

erator of the game the yardage required for each team tomake the necessary four downs in play. I

It is apparent therefore that by rotating the knob 18 carried by the shaft 16, the spool 22 is rotated to operate the cord or cable 23 to thus move the yardage markersor pins 26 along the slot 5. The spool 22 is purposely made large in comparison to the length of the slot. 5 in order that with but one revolution of the knob 18, the

yardage marker will traverse a considerable disto follow plays in rapid succession as they dea as in Figure 2. Suitable stops 31 are provided at either end of each of the slots 4 and 5 to prevent the clips 8 and 9-from being advanced too far and perhaps interfering with the operation of the rollers 25 and 29. By-rotating the knob 19, the

operator may observe the position of the ball 13 on the field as the actual game progresses and as determined by the remarks of the radio an- .nouncer.

Windows 32 are provided adjacent the slot 5 in the top of the housing 1, through which is disclosed the numerals on the peripheries of the cylinders 33. These cylinders are mounted on a stub shaft 34, passing through the side wall, of the housing 1 and journaled in brackets 35. Knobs 36 are aflixed to the external extremities of the stub shafts 34 and by means of these knobs, the operator may change the position of the cylinders 33. Through the window 32 at the left in Figure 1 marked Quarter the particular stage of the game is always in view of the operator while the companion window 32 shows the Downs.

With further reference to Figures 1 and- 4, it

will be noted that the pin 15 which affords a.-

hold the ball 13 in position on its mounting by virtue of the fact that it passes not only through the ball 13 but also through an aperture a near the upper edge-of the mounting 10 as in Figure 5. The pin 15 is extended to one side of the ball 13 and overliesthe yard line, terminating just short of the slot 5 in a point 16a. See Figure 1. This arrangement enables the operator to insta-ntly determine the exact position of the ball on the field or makes it possible for him to place the ball instantly in the actual position announced.

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification and-such modifica tion as is considered within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered within the spirit and intent of the invention.

I claim: w v

1. A game including a housing having imprinted thereon a parallelogram suggestive of a football field of play and having a slot through its longitudinal axis and a second spaced. therefrom and in parallel relationship therewith, said parallelogram further' having indicia alongits sides suggestive of the yardage line, a miniature football, a mounting for said football arranged within said first slot and capable of endwise movement therein, a pair of relatively parallel channel members, one being disposed on either end of said miniature football and carrying means indicative of opponents of the game, a looped member hinged at right angles relative to to over- V the axis of said mounting and movable v lie one or the other of said channel me bers, a yardage marker mounted for movemen in said second slot, means connected to and extending at right angles from said ball mounting to overlie said yardage line, and independent means for actuating said ball mounting and said yardage marker.

2. A game including a housing having indicia thereon representative of a football gridiron and provided with two slots in parallel relationship, one of. which extends through the longitudinal axis of said gridiron, the other extending along one side thereof and having indicia suggestive of yardage lines, means mounted for sliding movement in said first slot for supporting a miniature football, a pair of relatively parallel channel members carried by said latter means on opposite sides of the miniature football supported thereby and containing removable strips bearing the names of opponents of the game, means arranged to be moved to overlie one or the other of said strips to indicate the opponent in pos session of the ball, means mounted for sliding movement in said second slot for supporting a yardage indicator, means carried by said miniature football to extend to and overlie said yardage lines, and means disposed at the side of said housing operative to transmit sliding motion to the means in said slots.

3. A game including a housing having represented thereon a football field of play and provided with detachable goal posts, said housing further having parallel slots ,substaritially throughout its length and in parallel rel tionship and a pair of windows at one side thfireof,

means mounted in one of said slots for slding movement to denote the position of a ball on a field of play, means mounted in the other of said slots to denote the position of yardage'markers in relation to the ball denoting means, a pair of parallel [channel members, one of which is disposed on either-side of said ball denoting means,

interchangeable strips in said channels bearing means identifying the opponents'in said game,]

a hinged member arranged to be moved to overlie one of said strips to denote the opponent in possession of the ball, means carried by saidv 

